LE VILLAGE DE ROUANS

The forms of the commune’s name have changed considerably over time: Rotohenge / Rothoenge in 1036, Rotundum / Rodente between 1038 and 1046, Rouant / Roem between 1114 and 1134, Rouant / Roene / Rouand in 1179, 1269 and 1287, Ruant / Roant / Rouant in 1406, Roant between 1629 and 1633 and Rouans from 1706. According to Noël Tonnerre, the first spelling of Rotohenge is of Visigothic origin, as the cartulary of Saint-Serge mentions the existence of a “villa” of Visigothic foundation between Vue and Rouans. The name comes from the Gaulish Rotomagos or Ratumagos, meaning wheel market or racecourse. It should also be noted that the commune changed its name during the revolutionary period, to Barra-les-Marais for a time. Middle Ages Buzay Abbey was founded in 1135 by monks of the Cîteaux order at the request of Conan III, Duke of Brittany, and his mother Ermengarde d’Anjou. It was during this period that the parish of Rouans grew steadily from the abbey of Buzay, the nerve centre of Rouans. When Bernard de Clairvaux visited around 1144, he was displeased to find the abbey in a state of misery. He asked the monks to return to the mother abbey of Clairvaux, but an agreement with the Duke of Brittany meant that they stayed. Trade developed with navigation on the Loire and the Tenu. The modern period At the end of the 15th century, following the union of Brittany with France, the abbey became a commendation, meaning that it was granted to a layman or lord by the King of France. From the end of the 16th century, the Gondi family managed the abbey. By the seventeenth century, they had extensive holdings in the Retz region. On 14 February 1713, the Société du Canal de Buzay (Buzay Canal Society) was set up by royal decree, bringing together the residents of the Tenu marshes and Lac de Grand Lieu. One of their plans was to build a canal running from Messan to Buzay, to facilitate navigation and water management. This canal, known as the Buzay Canal, was completed sixty years later, in 1775. Contemporary period The abbey, of which only the tower remains today, was burnt down during the Vendée wars. It was sold as national property. The ruins were then used by the owners as a quarry for the surrounding buildings. During the Second World War, the Tour de Buzay was used by the Germans as a watchtower. The French attempted to recover it on the night of 6 August 1944. Key dates in the history of the commune: 1135: foundation of Buzay Abbey 1713: Société du Canal de Buzay founded 1775: construction of the Buzay canal 1986: shooting of the film “La Grand Chemin” by Jean-Loup Hubert Source : www.shpr.fr